教宗本篤十六世 第四十七屆普世聖召節文告 (二○一○年四月廿五日:復活期第四主日)

見證激發聖召

親愛的主教和司鐸弟兄們!
親愛的弟兄姊妹們!

第四十七屆普世聖召節將於四月廿五日、復活期第四主日──善牧主日──
舉行。這讓我有機會為大家提供一個最適合在司鐸年反省的主題:見證激發聖
召。我們為推動聖召所付的努力而達到的成果,首先完全是倚靠天主的自由行
動,然而正如牧民經驗印證的,那些已經回應上主召叫而投身於公務司祭職和度
獻身生活的人,他們個人和團體的見證的素質和深度有助推動聖召,因為他們的
見證能夠在別人身上激發那慷慨地回應基督召叫的渴望。是故,這主題凸顯與司
鐸及度獻身生活的人的生活和使命有密切的關係。因此,我願邀請所有蒙天主召
叫已在祂葡萄園中工作的弟兄姊妹們,去更新他們忠誠的回應,尤其是在這司鐸
年,即我因應聖若望.瑪利亞.維雅納(St John Mary Vianney)、亞爾斯本堂神
父(le Curé d’Ars)、司鐸和牧者的永恆模範的一百五十周年逝世紀念而頒佈的。

在舊約中,先知們知道他們被召叫,以他們的生命去見證他們所宣講的,他
們並且已準備好去面對誤解、拒絕和迫害。天主所交託給他們的任務,佔據了他
們的整個生命,就如「正在焚燒的火」、一道人心所不能裝載的火焰(參見耶
20:9)。職是之故,他們不單準備好給上主交付他們的聲音,也把他們的整個生
命交付。時期一滿,是耶穌、為聖父所派遣的(參見若 5:36),祂將要見證天主
對全人類的愛,無分你我,尤其對最小的弟兄、罪人、被遺棄的人和貧窮人的愛。
耶穌是對天主,和祂渴望全人類得救的最高見證者。在新時代的黎明,若翰洗者,
藉著奉獻他的整個生命來為基督預備道路,他見證了天主的許諾在納匝肋人瑪利
亞的兒子身上得以實現。當若翰見到耶穌來到約旦河──他替人施洗的地方時,
他向他的門徒指出祂就是「天主的羔羊,除免世罪者」(若 1:29)。他的見證是多
麼的有效,致使他的兩位門徒「聽見他說這話,便跟隨了耶穌」(若 1:37)。

同樣地,當我們在閱讀聖史若望時就發現,伯多祿聖召的產生,是透過他的
兄弟安德肋,當他遇見了「師傅」並接受了祂的邀請而住下來以後,他覺得需要
馬上跟伯多祿分享藉著與主同住所發現的事:「『我們找到了默西亞──意即基
督』。遂領他到耶穌跟前」(若 1:41‐42)。納塔乃耳(即巴爾多祿茂)的情況也是
如此,這全歸功於另一位門徒 ──斐理伯,他喜樂地告訴納塔乃耳他的偉大發
現:「梅瑟在法律上所記載,和先知們所預報的,我們找著了,就是若瑟的兒子,
出身於納匝肋的耶穌」(若 1:45)。天主無償和仁慈的那份主動遇到並挑戰那些接
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受了祂邀請的,並透過他們自己的見證而成為祂神聖召叫的工具的責任。時至今
日,這仍在教會內發生:上主利用那些忠於他們使命的司鐸見證者,致使為服務
天主子民的新的司鐸聖召和獻身生活聖召得到醒覺。職是之故,我想探討一下我
認為有效的司鐸見證當中本質的、司鐸生活的三方面。

在每個司鐸和獻身生活聖召當中的最根本要素,就是與基督的友誼。耶穌無
間斷地活於與聖父的共融內,這就是門徒們所渴望的那麼一份經驗;從祂身上,
他們學會了活於天主內,並與天主進行毫不間斷的對話。若司鐸是「天主的人」,
即一個屬於天主,並幫助他人認識和愛慕祂的人,那麼他不可能失敗於培養與天
主間深層親密的關係、活與祂的愛內,以及聆聽祂的聖言。祈禱是喚醒聖召的見
證的首要形式。好像安德肋宗徒那樣,他告訴他的兄弟〔伯多祿〕他遇見了師傅,
同樣想要成為門徒和基督見證的人必須曾親自「遇見」過祂,認識祂,並學會愛
慕祂和與祂同住。

屬於司鐸生活和獻身生活的成聖的另一要素就是,把自己的生命全然奉獻於
天主。若望宗徒這樣寫道:我們所以認識了愛,因為那一位為我們捨棄了自己的
生命,我們也應當為弟兄們捨棄生命(若一 3:16)。藉著這些說話,他邀請門徒
們進入耶穌的心思,祂在祂的整個生命中都遵行了聖父的旨意,甚至最終在十架
上交出了祂自己。於此,天主的仁慈完全被展現出來;一份仁慈的愛戰勝了邪惡、
罪過和死亡的黑暗。那位在最後晚餐中,從餐桌中站起來,把祂的外氅放在旁邊,
拿起一條毛巾,束起祂自己的腰並彎下身來洗門徒們的腳,藉此耶穌表達出在祂
的整個生命中、在對聖父旨意的服從中,服務和恩寵的真正意義(參見若
13:3‐15)。在跟隨耶穌的這條道路上,每個被召叫度特別奉獻生活的人都必須盡
他的一切努力去證明,他已經完全的向天主奉獻了他自己。這就是他把自己給予
那些全能者在他的牧民職務中交托給他的弟兄姊妹們的能力的泉源,在這份牧民
職務中他完全地、毫不間斷地、信實地奉獻自己,並喜樂地成為眾多弟兄姊妹的
旅途同行者,使他們也能向基督開放,叫祂的聖言能成為他們腳步的明燈。每個
聖召故事都幾乎時常都與一位司鐸喜樂地因為天主國的緣故為他的弟兄姊妹們
奉獻自己的這見證相互交織在一起。這是因為一位司鐸的臨在和說話都有能力引
發探問並進而導致最後的決定(參見若望保祿二世,主教會議後的宗座勸諭《我
要給你們牧者》,卅九)。

必然地描繪出司鐸和度獻身生活的人的第三方面就是共融的生活。耶穌曾展
示過那些願意成為祂門徒的人的標記就是在愛內的根本共融:「如果你們之間彼
此相親相愛,世人因此就可認出你們是我的門徒」(若 13:35)。司鐸總要成為一
個共融的人,對所有人開放,能夠把上主的美善所交托給他的旅途羊群聚集歸
一,能夠幫助克勝分裂,能修補裂痕,能處理矛盾和誤會,以及能寛恕冒犯。二
零零五年七月,在《對奧斯塔神職班的講話》中,我提到若年青人看見司鐸們既
疏遠又哀傷,他們就難以受到鼓勵從以跟隨他們的「芳表」。若他們想到這就是
司鐸的生活,那麼他們就會變得猶疑。然而,他們需要看見能向他們展現出成為
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司鐸的美麗的共融生活的模範。只有這樣,年青人才會說:「是的,這將可以是
我的未來;我可以如此生活」(Insegnamenti I, [2005], 354)。第二屆梵蒂岡大公會
議,當討論到喚醒聖召的見證時,強調出司鐸們必須提供的愛德和兄弟協作的榜
樣(參見《司鐸之培養》法令,二)。

在這裏,我憶起我可敬的前輩若望保祿二世的話:「司鐸們的生活本身,那
種無條件地獻身給天主的羊群,對主和祂教會愛心服務的見證──以滿懷希望的
心情及復活的喜樂,自由地接受十字架所標示的見證──以及兄弟般的團結和向
普世福傳的熱火,都是聖召成長中首要的與最具說服力的因素」(《我要給你們牧
者》,四十一)。可以說,司鐸聖召是誕生於與司鐸的接觸,這可算是一種藉著說
話、芳表以及整個生活模式所傳遞的偉大遺產。

就獻身生活而言,也是如此。無論何時,當男人和女人是在對福音完全信實
地跟隨基督,並喜樂地使他們自己成為福音就判斷和行為的準繩時,男人和女人
的獻身生活就是在宣講基督的愛。他們對世界──其思想常是源於物質主義、自
我中心和個人主義──而言,就成了「矛盾的標記」(signs of contradiction)。藉
著透過自我棄絕而讓自己被天主所贏得,他們的信實和他們見證的德能會不斷地
在許多年青人的心中喚醒那份以慷慨和完全的方式跟隨基督的渴望。去仿效基
督:貞潔、神貧和服從,並肖似於祂:這就是獻身生活的典範,即在人類生活和
歷史中把天主放在絕對首位的見證人。

每位司鐸、每位度獻身生活的人,忠於他或她的聖召,就發放出服務基督的
喜樂的光茫,並使所有基督徒回應成聖的普世召叫。結果,為了培養公務司祭職
和獻身生活的聖召,以及使推行識別聖召更行之有效,那些已經對天主和祂為每
個人的生命的計劃說了「是」的人的模範就不可或缺。個人的見證,以具體的形
式,將可鼓勵年青人作出一個對他們的未來影響深遠的苛刻決定。那些從旁協助
他們的人必須具有交心和對話的技巧,好能夠啟迪和陪伴他們,尤其是透過聖召
生活的榜樣。這就是亞爾斯神聖的本堂神父(saint Curé d’Ars)曾作的:時常與
堂區教友有著緊密的接觸,「他首先藉他生活的見證教導他們,信友們就是從他
身上學會祈禱的(《宣佈司鐸年致司鐸信函》,二零零九年六月十六日)。

願此世界為聖召祈禱日再度讓許多年青人有機會反省他們的聖召並真誠
地、有信心地和全然開放地忠於它。願童貞瑪利亞──教會之母──看顧那些上
主召叫更緊密地跟隨他的人心中細小的聖召種子,願她幫助使之長成為一棵成熟
的樹,並為教會和整個人類結出豐碩的果實。隨同此禱文,我現向你們致以我的
宗座遐福。

發自梵蒂岡,二零零九年十一月十三日
本篤十六世

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER FOR THE 47th WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

25 APRIL 2010 – FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Theme: Witness Awakens Vocations

Dear Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The 47th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated on the Fourth Sunday of Easter – Good Shepherd Sunday – 25 April 2010, gives me the opportunity to offer for your meditation a theme which is most fitting for this Year for Priests: Witness Awakens Vocations. The fruitfulness of our efforts to promote vocations depends primarily on God’s free action, yet, as pastoral experience confirms, it is also helped by the quality and depth of the personal and communal witness of those who have already answered the Lord’s call to the ministerial priesthood and to the consecrated life, for their witness is then able to awaken in others a desire to respond generously to Christ’s call. This theme is thus closely linked to the life and mission of priests and of consecrated persons. Hence I wish to invite all those whom the Lord has called to work in his vineyard to renew their faithful response, particularly in this Year for Priests which I proclaimed on the 150th anniversary of the death of Saint John Mary Vianney, the Curé of Ars, an ever-timely model of a priest and a pastor.

In the Old Testament the prophets knew that they were called to witness by their own lives to the message they proclaimed, and were prepared to face misunderstanding, rejection and persecution. The task which God entrusted to them engaged them fully, like a “burning fire” in the heart, a fire that could not be contained (cf. Jer 20:9). As a result, they were prepared to hand over to the Lord not only their voice, but their whole existence. In the fullness of time, Jesus, sent by the Father (cf. Jn 5:36), would bear witness to the love of God for all human beings, without distinction, with particular attention to the least ones, sinners, the outcast and the poor. Jesus is the supreme Witness to God and to his concern for the salvation of all. At the dawn of the new age, John the Baptist, by devoting his whole life to preparing the way for Christ, bore witness that the promises of God are fulfilled in the Son of Mary of Nazareth. When John saw Jesus coming to the river Jordan where he was baptizing, he pointed him out to his disciples as “the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29). His testimony was so effective that two of his disciples, “hearing him say this, followed Jesus” (Jn 1:37).

Similarly the calling of Peter, as we read in the Evangelist John, occurred through the witness of his brother Andrew, who, after meeting the Master and accepting his invitation to stay with him, felt the need to share immediately with Peter what he discovered by “staying” with the Lord: “We have found the Messiah (which means Christ). He then brought him to Jesus” (Jn 1:41-42). This was also the case for Nathanael, Bartholomew, thanks to the witness of yet another disciple, Philip, who joyfully told him of his great discovery: “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (Jn 1:45). God’s free and gracious initiative encounters and challenges the human responsibility of all those who accept his invitation to become, through their own witness, the instruments of his divine call. This occurs in the Church even today: the Lord makes use of the witness of priests who are faithful to their mission in order to awaken new priestly and religious vocations for the service of the People of God. For this reason, I would like to mention three aspects of the life of a priest which I consider essential for an effective priestly witness.

A fundamental element, one which can be seen in every vocation to the priesthood and the consecrated life, is friendship with Christ. Jesus lived in constant union with the Father and this is what made the disciples eager to have the same experience; from him they learned to live in communion and unceasing dialogue with God. If the priest is a “man of God”, one who belongs to God and helps others to know and love him, he cannot fail to cultivate a deep intimacy with God, abiding in his love and making space to hear his Word. Prayer is the first form of witness which awakens vocations. Like the Apostle Andrew, who tells his brother that he has come to know the Master, so too anyone who wants to be a disciple and witness of Christ must have “seen” him personally, come to know him, and learned to love him and to abide with him.

Another aspect of the consecration belonging to the priesthood and the religious life is the complete gift of oneself to God. The Apostle John writes: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and therefore we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 Jn 3:16). With these words, he invites the disciples to enter into the very mind of Jesus who in his entire life did the will of the Father, even to the ultimate gift of himself on the Cross. Here, the mercy of God is shown in all its fullness; a merciful love that has overcome the darkness of evil, sin and death. The figure of Jesus who at the Last Supper, rises from the table, lays aside his garments, takes a towel, girds himself with it and stoops to wash the feet of the Apostles, expresses the sense of service and gift manifested in his entire existence, in obedience to the will of the Father (cf. Jn 13:3-15). In following Jesus, everyone called to a life of special consecration must do his utmost to testify that he has given himself completely to God. This is the source of his ability to give himself in turn to those whom Providence entrusts to him in his pastoral ministry with complete, constant and faithful devotion, and with the joy of becoming a companion on the journey to so many brothers and sisters, enabling them too to become open to meeting Christ, so that his Word may become a light to their footsteps. The story of every vocation is almost always intertwined with the testimony of a priest who joyfully lives the gift of himself to his brothers and sisters for the sake of the Kingdom of God. This is because the presence and words of a priest have the ability to raise questions and to lead even to definitive decisions (cf. John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, 39).

A third aspect which necessarily characterizes the priest and the consecrated person is a life of communion. Jesus showed that the mark of those who wish to be his disciples is profound communion in love: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). In a particular way the priest must be a man of communion, open to all, capable of gathering into one the pilgrim flock which the goodness of the Lord has entrusted to him, helping to overcome divisions, to heal rifts, to settle conflicts and misunderstandings, and to forgive offences. In July 2005, speaking to the clergy of Aosta, I noted that if young people see priests who appear distant and sad, they will hardly feel encouraged to follow their example. They will remain hesitant if they are led to think that this is the life of a priest. Instead, they need to see the example of a communion of life which can reveal to them the beauty of being a priest. Only then will a young man say, “Yes, this could be my future; I can live like this” (Insegnamenti I, [2005], 354). The Second Vatican Council, in speaking of the witness that awakens vocations, emphasizes the example of charity and of fraternal cooperation which priests must offer (cf. Decree Optatam Totius, 2).

Here I would like to recall the words of my venerable Predecessor John Paul II: “The very life of priests, their unconditional dedication to God’s flock, their witness of loving service to the Lord and to his Church – a witness marked by free acceptance of the Cross in the spirit of hope and Easter joy – their fraternal unity and zeal for the evangelization of the world are the first and most convincing factor in the growth of vocations” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 41). It can be said that priestly vocations are born of contact with priests, as a sort of precious legacy handed down by word, example and a whole way of life.

The same can be said with regard to the consecrated life. The very life of men and women religious proclaims the love of Christ whenever they follow him in complete fidelity to the Gospel and joyfully make their own its criteria for judgement and conduct. They become “signs of contradiction” for the world, whose thinking is often inspired by materialism, self-centredness and individualism. By letting themselves be won over by God through self-renunciation, their fidelity and the power of their witness constantly awaken in the hearts of many young people the desire to follow Christ in their turn, in a way that is generous and complete. To imitate Christ, chaste, poor and obedient, and to identify with him: this is the ideal of the consecrated life, a witness to the absolute primacy of God in human life and history.

Every priest, every consecrated person, faithful to his or her vocation, radiates the joy of serving Christ and draws all Christians to respond to the universal call to holiness. Consequently, in order to foster vocations to the ministerial priesthood and the consecrated life, and to be more effective in promoting the discernment of vocations, we cannot do without the example of those who have already said “yes” to God and to his plan for the life of each individual. Personal witness, in the form of concrete existential choices, will encourage young people for their part to make demanding decisions affecting their future. Those who would assist them need to have the skills for encounter and dialogue which are capable of enlightening and accompanying them, above all through the example of life lived as a vocation. This was what the holy Curé of Ars did: always in close contact with his parishioners, he taught them “primarily by the witness of his life. It was from his example that the faithful learned to pray” (Letter Proclaiming the Year for Priests, 16 June 2009).

May this World Day once again offer many young people a precious opportunity to reflect on their own vocation and to be faithful to it in simplicity, trust and complete openness. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, watch over each tiny seed of a vocation in the hearts of those whom the Lord calls to follow him more closely, may she help it to grow into a mature tree, bearing much good fruit for the Church and for all humanity. With this prayer, to all of you I impart my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 13 November 2009

BENEDICT XVI

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